BPA is Sticking Around

Disappointingly, the FDA decided not to ban BPA this week. We know BPA is bad for us. We are exposed to it not only in the food we eat but also in things we touch. Studies have already confirmed that people with higher doses of BPA in their bloodstream (think people who only drink bottled water) have a “higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and liver-enzyme abnormalities.” The same study also concludes that BPA does have some affect on fertility and development as well as changes in breast and prostate tissues which could lead to cancer. The FDA explains that they could not conclusively determine any negative effects of the low amounts BPA in our bodies to health issues, consequently, they didn’t ban the use of BPA in food products.

We know that BPA is harmful to our health. The FDA can’t link tested levels from its samples to anything specific, so it says its ok for us to continue to consume. They haven’t decided that it is entirely harmless because they feel the need to continue studying it. They’re sending mixed messages to the public. They don’t want the accountability of banning it, but they want the public to reduce consumption by:

supporting the industry’s actions to stop producing BPA-containing baby bottles and infant feeding cups for the U.S. market;

facilitating the development of alternatives to BPA for the linings of infant formula cans; and

supporting efforts to replace BPA or minimize BPA levels in other food can linings.